The Impact of the 2011 Tsunami and How Japan Is Recovering

An entrepreneur, Fabian Samuel divides his time between leading the League of Extraordinary Gamers as its cofounder and overseeing Indfrag Limited as chief operating officer. Having established a successful career in India, Fabian Samuel also donates to the Japanese tsunami recovery effort.

In 2011, Japan experienced a devastating tsunami on its northeastern coast. The natural disaster destroyed towns and cities, damaging approximately 400,000 buildings. Among infrastructures impacted was a Fukushima nuclear power plant. The force of the waves resulted in its partial meltdown, which made it impossible for hundreds of thousands of residents to stay in their homes safely. Families fled the region in search of temporary domiciles. In total, the natural disaster took the lives of nearly 20,000 people.

As of March of 2016, Japan’s recovery efforts have made significant strides. While there is much left to do to restore the region to its pre-tsunami state, the country has disposed of 53 million tons of debris as well as constructed roads along the coastal line, where bridges have been rebuilt. Many families remain displaced and will likely live in prefabricated structures until 2018. However, nearly half of evacuees have secured permanent housing.